Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
Abigail Warwick ‘21 Opinion & Editorial Editor
On January 20, 2021, the 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, was sworn into office. Biden’s administration is historically diverse, especially with the first female, first black, and first Asian-American Vice President: Kamala Harris. Unlike years past, the attending crowd was kept to a minimum because of COVID-19 concerns. Given the events at the nation’s Capitol on January 6, there were heightened security concerns for Inauguration Day.
Just one day before the presidential inauguration, 12 National Guard members were removed from inauguration security duties due to possible links to extremist groups. More than 25,000 National Guard troops were deployed to protect the Capitol for the January 20 event. Biden briefly referenced the events of January 6 in his speech, condemning the great polarization in the country and assuring, “For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward. And, we must meet this moment as the United States of America. If we do that, I guarantee you, we will not fail.” Biden continually promised the restoration of unity as a key theme in his address. Many of the traditional inaugural festivities were made virtual, contributing to Biden’s main efforts to push for coronavirus safety and influence the country to follow health guidelines. Only about 2,000 people were in attendance, as |
compared to the usual few hundred thousand. Guests were seen seated apart, as per COVID-19 guidelines. Building on his theme of healing and improving the country, Biden held a moment of silence for those who were lost in the past year from the virus, promising that “We will honor them by becoming the people and nation we know we can and should be.” This is possibly in reference to the White House’s recommendation to wear a mask, the new mandate to wear a mask on federal property and the administration’s commitment to following scientific guidelines in order to end the pandemic. In his first address as President, Biden was able to bring hope to the nation, as he promised to bring back unity and “to restore the soul and to secure the future of America — requires more than words,” since there is “Much to repair. Much to restore. Much to heal. Much to build. And much to gain.” His overall speech easily connected to the Biden-Harris campaign slogan to “Build back better.”
Within the first 24 hours of being in office, President Biden signed 15 executive actions, including rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, removing the Muslim Travel Ban, stopping wall construction at the south border and rejoining the World Health Organization. Most executive orders signed by President Biden on his first day were direct reversals of previous orders from his predecessor, President Donald Trump. President Trump promised he would not attend his successor’s inauguration via Twitter on January 8, stating, “To all those who asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” making him the first president to skip his successor’s swearing-in in over 150 years; however, President Trump’s Vice President, Mike Pence, did attend the inauguration to represent the Trump administration.
Within the first 24 hours of being in office, President Biden signed 15 executive actions, including rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, removing the Muslim Travel Ban, stopping wall construction at the south border and rejoining the World Health Organization. Most executive orders signed by President Biden on his first day were direct reversals of previous orders from his predecessor, President Donald Trump. President Trump promised he would not attend his successor’s inauguration via Twitter on January 8, stating, “To all those who asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” making him the first president to skip his successor’s swearing-in in over 150 years; however, President Trump’s Vice President, Mike Pence, did attend the inauguration to represent the Trump administration.